All of Them
by ImDiffrentSoWhat
Summary: Ikuto and Amu both have many sides to themselves. Every part of Amu, from Cool & Spicy to Amulet Diamond, goes well with Ikuto just like every side of Ikuto Amu understands. They are the only ones who understand and accept all sides of both of them.


**I wrote this story because I was curious on how all the sides of Amu would mesh with the sides of Ikuto. This ended up being much longer than I was planning. But pretty much every side of both Amu and Ikuto mesh perfectly.**

* * *

Amu is a complicated girl. Females, of any species, are complicated and hard for their male counterparts to understand. But Amu is an extreme case of that. There were so many sides to her personality, so many facets that she switched so suddenly so no one could keep up. In that Amu was always alone. Even when she finally made friends they never saw all of her. So no matter how crowded a room was she was all alone.

But even in her loneliness she had companionship. Ikuto was just as alone as her. However Ikuto had been alone longer, he had five years of age on her to be alone but both had been alone since they were only small children. He saw the loneliness. Hidden in her golden eyes he saw the depth of them, the one that he saw so often in his own before he learned to cover it at around fourteen or fifteen.

* * *

Amu could duck and doge at gym. She was good at sports, dodge ball being her specialty. She is honest and can be peppy. A true cheerleader, pink hearts and light. Tadase and Kukai liked her like this best, they liked to hang around Amulet Heart. Tadase even had a crush on Amulet Heart, how he could like Amulet Heart without liking Amu didn't seem logical. But matters of the heart were rarely logical.

However, Amu understood it, and even when Tadase would like to be around her to see the shining cheerleader all Amu could feel was sadness. She tried to trump the sadness down but she could never manage to do that. No matter how hard she tried. He didn't like all of her, and she didn't want that. That wasn't how a fairytale worked, the prince fell for the princess and loved every part of her. But he wasn't a prince-he was a crazy, power hungry king.

She could understand Kukai liking that part of her best, it was the sporty side of her and Daichi was a sporty Chara as well. Plus Kukai had seamlessly blended into a big brother to her and he saw her as his little sister. Amulet Heart was the easiest to see her as a little sister since Miki was so level-headed she'd be the older sibling, Su was mothering and Dia was the kind to, if she was a family, would be the cousin you were in awe of. Amu liked having an "older brother" she had been the older sibling for so long it was nice to feel taken care of-even if he didn't really do that-and he was always the little brother so it was nice to him to be able to feel responsible for someone.

Deciding to do training one Saturday all the Guardians began in one spot and ran in different directions. They ran in groups though of the directions, Nagi and Kukai, Kairi, Rima, and Yaya, and Tadase and she all in three different directions.

Amu wore a pair of black shorts, a black tank top with a pink off the shoulder top over it that was short sleeved. She wore sneakers and pink knee high socks with her hair in a ponytail using a pink X clip and her her Humpty Lock resting in her Egg Carrier Case.

"Don't hurt yourself Hinamouri-san, this is just training." Tadase says with a smile and even though Amu blushes, smiles, and thanks him she runs and pushes herself because if she doesn't than she'll never get better. Tadase can't keep up with her.

He doesn't challenge her and babys her. She doesn't want to be babied. Sure, it's nice to have someone who wants to take care of you, everyone needs someone. But there is a difference between supporting and coddling.

"Not bad, Amu, let's see if you can keep up with me." Amu turns hearing the deep voice and is shocked to see Ikuto running with her, his cat ears and tail out. Smirking Amu doesn't even notice her pink X clip become a pink heart.

"Okay, if I win you can't be a pervert to me for a full day." She says with a laugh.

"Fine, strawberry, and if I win you have to snuggle me." He shot back, "don't think I'll hold back either, princess." He warns.

"I wouldn't want you to," Amu laughed.

* * *

Amu is not often very level-headed, she's a kid and every emotion is so strong. However she has an old soul, an old soul with a child's heart. However she hasn't lost the ability to see right and wrong and she always kept her morals. A promise is a promise, trying to hurt anyone-especially those weaker than you-was wrong, and anything else that she knew was wrong.

Though Amu could be a bit of an air-head, she was smart and could be very strategic. She could think quick on her feet and make a good plan. At first she and Miki didn't mesh, she had the hardest time with Miki but she found that soon she was able to become Amulet Spade easiest. Miki rarely forced a Character Change and Amu gained her wanted personality slowly. On her own terms.

However now she was closest to it. Nagihiko and Kairi liked her best like this. Kairi was always so serious it made sense, he would obviously like the serious side of her. Amulet Spade was also artistic and Nagihiko was a dancer that the creative side of her got along well with.

It was strange, level-headedness and artistic in the same Chara since art is emotions and it would be away from logic but art was strong emotion through a logical filter. Without the logic it was just emotional vomit while without the emotions everything was so cold.

Being so much in touch with both emotions and logic Miki was a romantic, she had a huge crush on Yoru, which her older sister loved to tease her for. Never mind Ran had a crush on Daichi.

Amu smiled as she sketched a picture quietly. She laid on her bed on her stomach, her legs kicking gently pumping as she sketched out, right beside her Miki was doing the same thing and sketching as well. Amu was dressed in a black skirt and over sized navy sweater that the neck was so big it hanged off of one shoulder with the arms begin cut at the elbows, on her feet she wore knee high socks that were stripped with navy, black, and ice blue. Her hair was held in messy pigtails with two blue X clips and at the bottom held in blue hair ties. She sighed and glanced at the Humpty Lock resting beside her.

Both jumped as the suddenly felt the mattress dip beside them and an arm rest over their waist. Amu whipped her head to see Ikuto lounging beside her on his side, one arm around her waist and the other propping his head up.

"What are you doing here?" Amu asked, moving her sketch away from herself, she couldn't let Ikuto see it. Yoru was snuggling against Miki like she was made of catnip beside Amu as Amu sighed. This was a lot like Ikuto.

"Why do you always come here anyway?" Amu asked as she continued to sketch, "you'll call me a kid and say that I just don't get it-refusing to explain what the it is." She added the little jab as Ikuto merely opened one sapphire eye to look at her, "but you'll come here."

"Am I not welcome?" He asked and Amu froze, Ikuto could feel how tense her body had got and hoped it didn't mean that she never thought to tell him to leave.

"Your welcome here." Amu said with a sigh, focusing on her sketch with a vengeance to hide her blush, wishing that she just put up with her hair getting in her face instead of pulling it up now.

"That's nice to know." Ikuto said nuzzling against her neck, "your always so warm-like a human heating pad." He sighed softly against her, holding her close by her waist.

"I'm still curious though." Amu said with a nudge at his face with her shoulder.

"I like being with you, I need to make sure I get my Amu fix." Ikuto teased rubbing her back gently and Amu let off a content sigh. "What are you drawing anyway?" Ikuto asked as Amu glanced at him with her bright honey gold eyes.

"I'm studying." She said simply moving her sketchpad to show the picture of the amusement park that she had been drawing from memory. Underneath each ride was the names in Japanese, then underneath each she wrote down the name in English and French.

"French and English?" He asked glancing at her before running his hands gently along the teacups of her drawing.

"Yeah," Amu sighed digging her fingers into her hair in frustration.

"What's the matter, having trouble?" The bluette asked resting his head on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I got English okay but this French is giving me some trouble," Amu admitted giving a sigh.

"I speak fluent French, I can help." Ikuto offered and Amu glanced over with a raised eyebrow.

"This isn't just a way to tease me, right?" Amu asked and Ikuto suddenly looked very serious, almost angry.

"I'd never pretend to help you just to tease you." Ikuto said seriously, Amu looked at him with wide eyes. "I'd never take advantage of you like that." He added moving some stray hair out of her face. "Now how about we start with the merry-go-round?"

* * *

Amu was mothering, she had that maternal instinct. Whether it was just something she was born with or it grew from taking care of Ami no one would ever truly know. All they knew was that Amu would be a good mother one day; she knew how to take care of babies and she had read enough of her mother's magazine to know what to do for almost any child-related emergency and even knew a few tricks to get kids to eat their vegetables.

Yaya and Rima liked her best like this. Yaya, her wanted personality being Pepe who was a baby Chara made sense. Su was a mother Chara, as well as being a housewife, maid, and waitress Chara. Rima didn't have the best home life and as such felt very special when her best friend acted mothering to her.

Amu smiled as she stirred the chocolate gateau, she was making the treats for the tea party. She wore a forest green knee length dress and puffed cupped sleeves. Around her arm, waist, and the collar was white along with green and white tights and black shoes. Her Humpty Lock around her neck in a forest green ribbon. She took a slim part of her hair and braided it, holding it still with a green X clip.

Finishing by placing the gateau into a pan and quickly putting it into the refrigerator to set she then headed to make breakfast-her mother and father went out with Ami for a birthday party-Su was helping Amu with the cooking, causing her green X clip to turn into a green clover.

"Amu~nya." Amu turned suddenly from the bowl when she heard Yoru's voice and turning she saw the cat Chara.

"Yoru? What are you doing here?" Amu asked, "where is Ikuto?" She asked, wondering why he was around, he was a stray cat so he could go off on his own without Ikuto. Not that the other Charas couldn't, they just didn't often want to.

"Ikuto sent me out to tell you to come up to your room to hang out." Yoru answered with a smile, "by the way, where is your family?" He asked, looking around, he had been down before, being warned by Miki to be careful since Amu's little sister could see them.

"They are at a birthday party, they shouldn't be back until after the Guardian meeting." Amu answered, "he can come down if he wants." she added going to the bottom of the stairs. "Ikuto! You can come down if you want-no one is at home." She called before turning and heading back to the kitchen. She trusted he'd hear.

It wasn't long until she glanced over to see Ikuto leaning against the counter, watching her with a bored expression.

"You want some breakfast? I'm making some pancakes, sausage, and some fruit." Amu answered as she poured some pancake batter in and placed a few sausage in another pan.

"Sure, I haven't eaten yet." Ikuto said watching her quietly. "Do you need some help?" He added and Amu turned quickly to see him and smiled gently.

"That would be great, could you use the juicer and make some orange juice for us all and chop some fruit up?" She asked pulling out a juicer and knife for him, she had already pulled out the fruit. Nodding in understanding Ikuto began to help. With his help Amu could focus on the food cooking and it went by much faster.

Soon the breakfast was dished up and everyone sat down. Ikuto was shocked, he could barely make fried eggs, but this was delicious. The pancakes were light and fluffy and the sausage cooked perfectly but not at all burned.

"This is delicious, Amu." Ikuto said and Amu blushed a light pink.

"Thank you," She said, playing with her braid, fiddling with the green X clip.

Ikuto merely smirked, she was so cute when she was shy sometimes. "You'll be a good wife someday." He added looking at her slyly. Amu looked at him shocked before turning away with her cheeks a bright red.

"Are you insane? Believing that a good cook makes a good wife is from the stone ages." Her stubborn side coming out. Ikuto merely chuckled, causing Amu to look at him with wide eyes, why was he laughing?

"I'm not saying that you being good at cooking is why you'll be a good wife," he said with a smile before looking like he was considering, "though I can see how it might sound like that." He admitted, "your caring will make you a good wife, I can taste the caring you put in the food, the love in it." He said with a smile, "that will make you a good wife and mother one day. He said as her blush returned full blast and she looked down twitching her fingers.

* * *

Amu could have a "sparkling" personality sometimes. She can have an optimistic side and she has an excellent singing voice, she is an idol. Utau and Hikaru like this side of her best, Utau had Diamond for awhile and Hikaru liked to see things that are sparkly.

Amu pulled on her dress, it was a bright yellow that was formfitting sleeveless top and had a frilled at the bottom. Along the sides are a strip of white and she wore a sheer yellow arm warmers that reached her elbow and her fingers. Her Humpty Lock was fasted in a chain belt and she wore a black choker that held a multifaceted glass gem.

Pulling on a black pair of knee high black boots and thigh high sheer yellow socks. Pulling her hair up with a yellow X clip into a ponytail Amu headed out to Nagihiko's house where they were having a party. It would have everyone; Nagi-of course-Rima, Tadase, Yaya, Kairi, Nikaidou, Yukari, Kukai, Utau, Hikaru, Ikuto, Amu, and all of their Charas.

Entering the home when she got there Amu smiled, she was a bit early-because of Dia being so excited for the party and pushing her to hurry. However everyone was here but Ikuto, Tadase, Utau, and Hikaru. The music was playing, and soon a song came on that Yaya loved.

"Yay! Yaya loves this song! Come on Amu-chi! Kairi-kun won't dance with Yaya!" Amu laughed as the younger girl dragged her to the part of the room that was cleared for a dance space and the two girls started to dance.

After about three songs Amu and Yaya got separated, Amu smiled as she saw that Kairi was dancing with her now, with pushing from his older sister. Amu gave a laugh of exhilaration as she continued to dance.

Coming in the Tsukiyomi siblings, Tadase and Hikaru smiled as they entered and Ikuto's eyes widened, Amu looked as if she was sparkling. Without saying anything he made his way to Amu on the dance floor.

Amu was dancing and lifted her arms over her head, jumping slightly when she felt two big hands wrap around hers. Turning quickly she saw Ikuto and smiled. "When you get here?" She asked, turning so she could face him.

"Just now." Ikuto answered wrapping his arms around his waist. "You look good dancing," he complimented chuckling as she blushed. "You feel like dancing the night away?" He challenged.

"First to need a break loses?" Amu asked as her yellow X clip turned into a yellow diamond.

"Yep, what do you get if you win?" He asked as they moved to the beat, neither were really thinking about the movements, they just let the music move them.

"Not sure, can I think about it and add it later?" She asked and Ikuto nodded before holding her waist and lifting her up. "And you?"

"I get to crash at your place tonight." Ikuto said after a moment of thought.

"I let you do that anyway." Amu muttered chuckling. Luckily the last two things they said was said softly, the fact that he slept over in her room from time to time was their secret.

* * *

Amu could be naggy and obsessed with love, she was angelic. She could be sweet and she was a hopeless romantic. Romeo and Juliet was her fantasy growing up, her dream man was Mr. Darcy, she always referred to her father as Mama's Prince Charming.

Amu giggled as she swung on the swing, enjoying the feel of the wind running through her hair. She wore a pink knee length dress that was long sleeved with white frills. She wore white and pink plaid knee high socks and red ballet flats. She wore mini pigtails in two white X clips and her Humpty Lock around her neck.

Jumping slightly at the feel of a pair of hands on her lower back. Turning her head she saw Ikuto smiling. Smiling a bit Amu kept swinging and Ikuto kept pushing. After awhile Amu decided to stop, dragging her feet and Ikuto caught the chains, holding her still.

Helping her up Ikuto and Amu began to walk, Ikuto walking her home. "Hey, my house is this way," she commented as he gripped her hand and started dragging her. "Hey! What the heck!" She resisted as he tugged her along.

"This is a shortcut." He said simply, helping Amu make it through the Stray Cat Course.

"Hey wait a minute, I think I notice this place." Amu muttered as Ikuto smirked and lead her into the amusement park.

* * *

Amu could be edgy and mean, she was a demon child. She didn't let that side of her out often, she wasn't naturally mean but she wasn't a bad kind of mean-she liked to tease every once in awhile.

Amu snickered as she watched her friends run around. They were messing around and Amu watched giggling She wore a pair of black shorts with a red strip down the sides and a black tank top with a red star on the front. She wore red thigh high socks and black shoes with red buckles on. She had her hair held up in mini pigtails with two black X clips and her Humpty Lock around her waist.

"Your not playing anymore?" Amu asked as Ikuto sat beside her. He had been running around with everyone else but had come to sit with her. Amu herself had not gone herself to play because she didn't feel like it. She had dealt with Ami earlier and was tired out, and for some reason her outer facade had really tired her out.

"Nah, I'd rather just sit back and watch." He said and Amu nodded, they both started chuckling as Yaya fell on top of Kairi by accident.

* * *

Amu always wanted to be all of herself, every side of hers. She was a princess, she was the girl who was brave enough to say her life wasn't enough and to change who she was. She also did want to be in love, her true love. All her Chara's together made Amulet Fortune, which was a true love character. She didn't talk about who was obviously the other side of the equation. She only ever did that transformation with one person.

She was only ever transformed that way with Ikuto, and only when she fully opened her heart to him. The first time Ikuto tried to use his Dumpty Key into her Humpty Lock it hadn't fit. Something was blocking it, it was because her heart was closed off to him because she thought him awful. However every time he hurt someone, was forced to smash their Egg, he hurt just as much if not more than who he hurt.

And she told him that she hated him, but she never did. Even when she thought she did, she couldn't. He was her cat neko pirate. Even before she knew that, and she was always his strawberry princess. He was Seven Seas Treasure, he was like the sea, his dark eyes and matching hair, and he smelt like the sea sometimes, or maybe that was boy's shampoo.

The two of them were the only ones who could become that. Ikuto couldn't become Seven Seas Treasure without Amu while she couldn't' become Amulet Fortune without Ikuto.

* * *

Amu had an outer facade. Having it was what brought her Charas out. She was called Cool & Spicy, she always referred to it as her outer facade but it was the same. To her classmates she was Cool & Spicy, mature and a hero. She had a older boyfriend who was French and an idol. They made up rumors, a lot. To her parents she was the model daughter and big sister while to Ami she was her Onee-chan.

Ikuto knew that there was a outer facade with her. However it always slipped when he was around. Even when they first met, when she fell on top of him in the hole her outer facade slipped right away. Then Ran, her first Chara, hatched.

He could never help but feel sad when he would perchance glance to see that facade when she was around the kiddy king. She deserved to be herself around him, around anyone. She was so lovely, why should she hide it?

* * *

Amu sighed, digging her hands into her tangled pink locks. She was sitting on her bed beside Ikuto, who was fast asleep having come over and then it started raining so she had him stay at her place. She was wearing blue shorts, a green tank top, one yellow and one pink sock as well as having her Humpty Lock attached around her neck with a black ribbon that had lace along the edges. She usually didn't sleep with her Humpty Lock but hadn't felt good and Ikuto had placed his Dumpty Key around his neck with a matching ribbon Amu had given him.

It just felt right.

Amu was currently awake because she was freaking out. Who is she? Amu, herself, didn't know who she was. She wasn't Ran, nor Miki, Su, and defiantly not Dia, nor was she the Cool & Spicy girl. Who was she really?

"Amu?" The pinkette turned to see Ikuto who looked at her concern. "What's the matter?" He asked.

"Which side of me do you like best?" Amu asked instead of answering him.

"What?" Ikuto asked, sitting up to look into her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Which side of me do you like best? Amulet Heart, Amulet Spade? Amulet Clover? Or Amulet Diamond?" She asked as Ikuto looked at her confused, "or do you like the Cool & Spicy side best?" She asked when he didn't answer.

"Do you really want to know?" Ikuto asked, looking very serious, not looking at her.

"Yes?" Amu said though it sounded a lot like a question. She didn't really know who she was, but Ikuto knew her better than anyone-he was the only person who she wasn't afraid to just let herself relax around. Perhaps she could trust him with this to, to know who she was when she wasn't focusing on it.

"I like you best." He said as Amu looked at him confused, "I like you, as you are, best. Just who you are, your all of those sides, all together." He said, kissing her forehead. Amu smiled gently, he was right, she knew she could trust him.

"Thank you," Amu answered, he might think she was thanking him for the advice but in truth she was thanking him for liking her for who she was.

* * *

Ikuto was a teasing person, he liked to tease and watch their reaction. It was all in affection, it was how he showed his affection. Yoru was a lot like him with that, teasing and affectionate.

Ikuto didn't tease many people, he teased Tadase a bit but it was mostly Amu who he teased. He never intended to tease her even as much as Tadase, never mind more. He just teased her once and saw her blush following the split second of adorable confused look. After seeing that face he wanted to see it again. And again after that, and after that...well, you get it.

Most people who knew him would never get he could be so playful. They defiantly would never guess he could be a "pervert". It was always pervert with Amu. He could be a bit perverted. Not that anyone would ever have guessed that though, heck, even he hadn't guessed it. Yoru was just as perverted as him, and he hadn't known that until the cat had spotted Amu's blue artist Chara.

However he loved to tease Amu, she just made it so easy. Despite his teasing words, Ikuto knew that Amu was still a kid, he was a kid to. There was a reason he never kissed his lips, despite _really_ wanting to try it. He would wait until she was ready for such things, and maybe one day what his teasing side teased at. But he was mature, he had an old soul, but his heart was that of a child.

Ikuto walked in his school uniform with his violin case on his back, the Dumpty Key hanging off of it. Walking down the street he glanced to the side to catch a swipe of pink. Turning quickly he was able to see Amu walking She turned and her golden eyes widen as she sees him and she starts to take the step but stops, seemingly unsure. However glancing she sees his smirk and heads to talk to him. She is wearing a black skirt, red and black plaid long sleeved shirt with black cuffs, neck and middle. She wore red thigh highs, black boots with red string, her Humpty Lock around her neck and held part of her hair up with a red X clip.

"Hi, Ikuto." Amu said as they waked, rubbing her arm.

"Hello strawberry." He said with a smirk.

She always came around, no matter how much she pushed away at the time with a blush at least matching or usually exceeding the color of her hair. She had to like it, as secretly as it was, if not she could use her Cool & Spicy facade to get rid of him like that. She never did.

* * *

Ikuto could be aloof, and serious. He loved to play the violin, for so many years it was the only thing he could be around. He didn't want to hurt anyone, he was the black cat of misfortune. He didnt' want to be but he knew he had no choice.

However when Amu came around he forgot about that. He tried, of course he did, when he remembered to. He wanted to keep her safe, if Easter ever even guessed that he might, even slightly, have feelings for Amu she'd be in danger.

However with her bright golden eyes, soft pink hair, sweet naive face, he was starstruck, than he personality distracted him from remembering he was supposed to make her hate him. She was just too interesting, she was beautiful on the outside-you'd have to be dumb, deaf, and blind not to notice-but she was even more beautiful on the inside. She was just afraid to let everyone see it.

Sighing Ikuto forced himself to stop thinking of Amu and picked up his violin. He was working on a song that he was composing that he made about her. He didn't usually compose new ones, replaying the same song each time, replaying the notes in different ways.

Feeling a sense of something he glanced and saw Amu. She wore a yellow sweater dress with white belt around her waist and boots. Her hair was down with two red X clips holding it back and a red scarf that was probably hiding her Humpty Key.

She knew his playing, it was obvious, his violin had a certain sound about it. Ikuto smiled putting his violin away.

"Your not going to keep playing?" Amu asked, confused. His song was new, she never heard it before it sounded a lot happier.

"It's not finished." He said and Amu looked at him confused.

"Do you hate anyone else hearing you play that much?" She asked rubbing her arm, "if you hate it that much, I can leave. But your song is really beautiful, it's different. I never heard you play that song before, it sounds happier than the other one, there both beautiful." Amu said shrugging, starting to walk away.

"If you want," Ikuto said, walking towards her, "you can hear it when it's done." He said and chuckled at her adorable confused face. "I'm still writing it, I haven't finished it yet." He explained and Amu nodded. "If you'll sing, I'll play though." He offered and Amu smiled before nodding. She'd sing if he'd let her hear him play.

* * *

Ikuto was never much of the prince type, he wasn't really a knight either, he broke the rules too much. However the pirate suited him perfectly, though he was a cat and didn't like water he loved the ocean. He didn't _swim_, of course not. However on a boat he could see the beautiful water, bask in the warm sunlight, and fish was delicious.

He wasn't what every little girl who wanted to be a princess were probably dreaming of. Defiantly not what their parents were probably dreaming of. However he never showed interest in any girl.

That was until he found his princess. She really was a princess, however she didn't seem to go for the prince boys. Tadase being the exception she seemed to like the more adventurous type. Amu's mother knew of him, though she probably didn't know that he'd spend the night in Amu's bedroom a lot, she thought that it was just the one time when people were after him and he slept on the floor. Mrs. Hinamouri was very understanding and kind, she was a lot like Amu in that regard.

Even though he was five years older than her, well honestly he was four years, ten months, and some week or days or something. Five years wasn't that much if they were just older, an eighteen and twenty three year old wasn't much, twenty and twenty five, thirty and thirty five. He fully planned on being with her at those ages as well, forever he planned on. Amu was a forever kind of girl.

The Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key must always be together. Amu was his princess and he was her pirate.

* * *

Ikuto could be hurtful. He could be cold and he could hurt those around him, emotionally anyway. He never hurt them physically. He did it to protect them, he had to keep them away to keep them safe. Those he loved he had to keep away for their protection.

It was a lot like Amu's Cool & Spicy facade. However he hated this character of his but Amu didn't hate hers. She was strong, it might be easier if he could switch sides of himself like she could. He had used the hurtful facade on her before, to protect her. Always to protect her.

He hated hurting her, but even though he did it he hoped it would keep her safe from Easter. If they knew that he cared for her they'd go after her, and he couldn't protect her. Even if he could he certainly couldn't protect her family from them. So he had to push her away to keep her safe.

However no matter how many times he hurt her she forgave him. She understood. In ways no other person, even his family, ever did. Only she has seen each and every side of him and she never told him but he was sure that he was the only one to see parts of her that no one ever saw. She had told him that she showed him a side that even her family wouldn't see.

She accepted all of him.

* * *

Ikuto laid on the ground breathing heavy. He was so tired, so sick. He didn't know what he had but he was sick. He felt so sick and he felt the darkness descend on him.

"Ikuto? Ikuto!" Ikuto sighed, thinking that he was dreaming. It was her voice, he was dreaming of Amu again. Suddenly he felt shaking, "Ikuto? Come on wake up." Ikuto groaned, he didn't want to wake up, he wanted to stay in the numb darkness with Amu but he did so. Blinking his eyes open he saw her pink hair shining in the setting sun and her worried golden eyes as her face looked relieved.

"Good, good." Amu praised and even though his chest felt tight it swelled with pride of her praise. A lot like how he felt when she complimented his playing. "Come on, up you go." She added as she started to pull him up. Ikuto's legs cramped and his limbs felt far away and cramped but he did so. She pulled him up and placed his arm over her shoulders and wrapped her arm around his waist and held onto his wrist that was over her shoulder.

She was so warm.

After a long time, or at least it felt like eternity, he looked up to see Amu's window up on the second story. Did she think he could get up there in his condition? "Wait here while I go and find a way to get my family out of the house and I'll bring you from the front door in." Amu says and Ikuto sighs in relief.

"I have a better idea~nya." Yoru said and before either could ask what he meant Yoru did a Character Change with Amu, giving her petal pink cat ears and a tail and suddenly she wrapped her arms around Ikuto and jumped up onto her balcony.

Freezing up as the Character Change was undone Amu looked at Yoru shocked, Ikuto would to if he didn't feel so bad. Opening the balcony door Amu struggled and all but flopped him down onto the bed. "Sorry!" Amu apologized as she moved him to lay on the bed with his head on the pillow and pull her blankets over him. She must have been struggling, he was probably heavy. He felt like he should apologize but it only came as a groan.

"Shh...are you okay?" Amu asked sweetly and she ran her hand along his face, along his forehead, down his cheeks, and along his chin with her fingertips. It felt good, felt relaxing. "Yoru what happened to him?" Amu questioned, continuing to stroke his face.

"He's sick~nya." Yoru said sadly, his ears drooping, Amu sighed.

"Ikuto," she said indulgently, "you stray cat, being outside can get you sick." She gently abolished. "Did he eat?" She asked turning again to Yoru who shook his head in the negative. "I'll go get him some food." Amu said, standing up, Ikuto whimpered at the loss of contact of her stroking his face. "I'm just going to get you food," she cooed as she sat on the side of the bed and stroking his hair. "Is there anything else you want? Or what kind of food do you want?" She asked sweetly.

"He likes to eat soup and bread when he doesn't feel good." Yoru offered, telling Amu Ikuto's favorite comfort food.

"Thanks Yoru," Amu commented as she rubbed his head gently. "Do you need anything Ikuto?" She asked as Ikuto opened one eye to be able to see her again.

"No...thank...you." Ikuto muttered as Amu smiled at him.

"I'll go make you some food now," Amu commented kissing his forehead. "Su, can you come help?" She asked and walked with her green Chara, her other three as well as Yoru behind. "If someone comes in, cover Ikuto up with the blanket." She added, she didn't think anyone would, no one ever did, but it was good to be safe.

Ikuto smiled, and he must have dropped off to sleep because it didn't feel like anything more than five seconds before he was being shaken awake to open his eyes to see Amu's golden eyes. Smiling at him she put the pillows up against the wall fluffing them before pulling Ikuto to sit up. She picked up a tray and put it on his lap, a bowl of French Onion soup, four rolls, and a glass of milk.

Sitting beside him Amu picked up one of the rolls and dipped it in the soup, once it stopped dripping Amu held it up to him to feed him. She hovered over him, taking care of him like a little nurse. He hadn't felt cared for since Tsukasa had taken him away to protect him from adult issues.

Now he felt safe and secure again. He was a stray cat, but the truth was he wanted a home. He's a cat but he wants to have a home to come to. Amu was his home.


End file.
